Senior-Class Salute: TCU 184 wins from 2007-10

In the latest update of CB360’s exclusive Senior Class Salute, we take a look at a TCU baseball program that has accumulated one of the nation’s highest victory totals over the past four seasons (184-64; .742). The Horned Frogs today will be playing Florida State for the second time at the College World Series, with FSU (196-64; .754) also ranking among the winningest programs from 2007-10. (front page photo of Tyler Lockwood courtesy of TCU)

Today’s TCU-FSU game will feature a group of four-year seniors (from both teams) whose teams have compiled a combined 280 victories spanning the ’07-’10 seasons (280-128; .686). TCU’s recent win over Florida State moved the Horned Frogs program into a tie with Virginia (184-68-1) for the 8th-most wins during the past four seasons. Another win over FSU today would place TCU in a three-way tie with Texas (185-68-1) and Louisville (185-770) for 6th-place on this list, only one behind Rice’s 186-70 record from 2007-10.

(Note that the 4-year records listed on this page are prior to the game on June 23: the completion of Clemson vs. Oklahoma and the TCU-FSU elimination game).

Florida State (#4 on the list) similarly could move into a tie for the 3rd-winningest senior class, alongside fellow ACC team North Carolina (197-70). FSU actually owns a better win percentage than UNC (.754 to .738) during the past four seasons. Arizona State went 0-2 at CWS, keeping the Sun Devils (201-52) one win behind top team Coastal Carolina (202-53) among the winningest D-I baseball programs in the past four seasons (ASU narrowly finished with a better 4-year win pct. than Coastal, .795 to .792).

The CB360 Senior Class Salute is modeled after a similar feature on sister site CollegeSoccer360.com. One difference between a sport such as women’s soccer and baseball is that senior classes for many baseball programs can be affected by: players leaving early for pro ball; players coming and going via transfer; and some utilizing a redshirt/extra season. Nonetheless, the 28 baseball programs listed below have experienced sustained winning over the past four years (with each averaging 39 or more wins per season) … and many of the players who are seniors/5th-year-seniors/redshirt juniors have played key roles in each program’s success during this four-year stretch.

(Note: the Senior-Class Salute will be a regular CB360 feature throughout the 2010 NCAAs and in future seasons … CB360 also will be developing lists for top junior classes based on career wins and top combined records over the past two seasons).

In addition to ASU, FSU and TCU, three other teams at the 2010 CWS – South Carolina (11th; 175-82/.681), Oklahoma (19th; 163-86-1/.654) and Clemson (22nd; 160-95-1/.627) – are among the 28 winningest 4-year programs listed below (OU beat SC on Sunday, while Clemson is leading OU is the suspended game that is slated to be completed today). South Carolina is tied with LSU for 11th on this 4-year wins lists (three Ws back of Vanderbilt), while another Oklahoma win would tie the Sooners for 18th place (with Charlotte). Clemson is tied on this list with East Carolina, one win behind Arkansas, two back of Mississippi and three shy of OU).

Florida ended its season with a combined record of 152-93 (.620) from 2007-10, while the remaining 2010 CWS team, UCLA, has gone 143-98 (.593) over the past four seasons.

TCU racked up a 48-14 record in 2007, followed by 44-19 in ’08 and 40-18 in ’09 before fashioning the top season in the program’s history (52-13) over the past few months.

Three righthanded pitchers – Tyler Lockwood (Sugarland, Texas), Eric Marshall (Barrington, Ill.) and Steven Maxwell (The Woodlands) – have been contributing members of the TCU program during the past four seasons, contributing to the yearly average of 46 wins during that 2007-10 span. TCU’s senior class also includes three players who attended other colleges/junior colleges earlier in their careers: first baseman Matt Curry, RHP Paul Gerrish and catcher Bryan Holaday.

Tyler Lockwood

LOCKWOOD ranks as one of the more versatile and valuable pitchers at the 2010 College World Series, as a former starter who shifted into a relief/closer role this season (following the arrival of 1st-round talent Matt Purke). The 6-foot, 170-pound Lockwood has crafted a 1.97 ERA in 26 relief appearances this season, with 7 saves, a 6-2 record, nearly twice as many strikeouts as walks (36/17), and 6.1 more innings pitched than hits allowed (59.1/53). The Kempner High School product has help opposing hitters to a .239 batting avg., with his solid control numbers including only 5 hit batters and a single wild pitch.

Over the course of his stellar four-year career, Lockwood has compiled a 3.32 ERA and 22-8 record in 86 appearances (23 starts), with nearly a 3-to-1 career K-to-walk ratio (194/67) and 290 his allowed in 290.1 innings (30 HB, 12 WP, 7 SV).

Eric Marshall

MARSHALL – a 5th-year senior – played sparingly in 2006 and ’07 (1.1 innings each season) before making 53 relief appearances over the past three seasons. His career numbers with the Horned Frogs include a 4.00 ERA, 5-2 record and 10 saves, plus 56 strikeouts, 30 walks and 67 hits allowed in 72 innings (9 HB, 4 WP). The 6-foot-3, 140-pound veteran was TCU’s closer in 2009 (prior to Lockwood’s shift in role), with Marshall’s stellar 2009 season including a 1.48 ERA and 9 saves in 24 appearances (2-2, 20 K, 4 BB, 22 H, 30.1 IP).

Steven Maxwell

MAXWELL – who has a 5th-year of eligibility (after making only three appearances in 2008) – has combined with the dominant lefthander Purke and sophomore RHP Kyle Winkler to form one of the nation’s top 3-man rotations this season. His strong 2010 season has included a 2.41 ERA and 11-2 record in 17 starts, with 89 strikeouts, only 34 walks and 83 hits allowed in 100.2 innings.

The three-headed monster of Maxwell-Purke-Winkler has combined for a 28-4 record and 2.89 ERA spanning 54 appearances (52 starts) and 327.1 innings during the 2010 season. The trio has amassed a 3.2-to-1 strikeout-to-walk ratio (321/102) and has thrown 48 more innings than hits allowed (280). Opposing hitters have combined to hit only .280 vs. the TCU 3-man rotation this season.

The 28 teams on the list of winning programs from 2007-10 include six from the ACC, five SEC, plus three Big 12 programs and three from Conference USA, along with two each from the BIG EAST and Big West, and one each from the Atlantic-10, Big South, Missouri Valley, Mountain West, Pacific-10, Southern Conf. and the Summit League.

Three teams on this list – Wichita State (#15), Charlote (#18) and East Carolina (#20) – failed to reach the 2010 NCAAs.

There have been 76 different teams over the past four years (2007-10) that have posted at least one season with 40-plus wins.

Winningest Senior Classes in 2010 College Baseball Season (2007-10)
(through June 22 games at the 2010 College World Series)(research courtesy of CollegeBaseball360.com; please credit accordingly)
* – 2010 College World Series teams